Joshua 12

This chapter is a summary list of the kings Israel defeated. First come the two kings east of the Jordan, beaten under Moses. Then come thirty-one kings west of the Jordan, beaten under Joshua. It looks back over what God has done before the land is divided up in the chapters that follow.

Joshua 12:1

The record begins east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley in the south to Mount Hermon in the north. These were lands Israel took before crossing the river. The victories belong to the people as God’s gift, and the writer wants them remembered by name.

BSA: struck down (“defeated, overcame”): The word speaks of real victory, not just a skirmish; these kings were truly overcome.

Hebrew: הִכּוּ (hikkû, H5221) — “they struck, they smote.” This Hebrew verb is the same one used all through Joshua for decisive defeat in battle. It is the language of a finished victory.

See also: Numbers 21:21-35.

Joshua 12:2-3

Sihon, an Amorite king, ruled from Heshbon over a long stretch of land east of the Jordan. It ran from the Arnon to the Jabbok and down the Jordan Valley from the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth) to the Dead Sea. Israel had asked him for peaceful passage, and he refused.

BSA: Gilead (“a mountainous region,‘rocky region’”): Gilead is rugged, hilly country, a fitting stronghold for a king who thought himself secure.

See also: Numbers 21:21-24; Deuteronomy 2:26-36.

Joshua 12:4-5

Og, king of Bashan, was a survivor of the Rephaim, a people remembered for their great size. His kingdom was rich pasture land stretching north to Hermon. Moses recorded that Og was a giant, yet Israel overcame him.

BSA: remnant (“surviving descendants, excess”): Og was one of the last survivors of a once-feared people, which shows that even their strength had run out. Rephaim (“giants, Raphaite”): The name marks a people known for unusual height and for the fear they stirred in Israel.

Hebrew: יֶּתֶר (yeter, H3499) — “what is left over, remainder.” Og stands as the leftover of a fading race. The giants who once frightened Israel were nearly gone.

See also: Deuteronomy 3:1-11.

Joshua 12:6

Moses is called the servant of the LORD, and under his leadership these two kings fell. The land was then given to Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh. The victory is credited to God’s servant and God’s people together, and the land is called a gift.

BSA: servant (“faithful steward, bondservant”): Moses held his place as someone entrusted with another’s work, not as an owner of the victory. inheritance (“a gift, a legacy”): The land came as a gift handed down, not as something Israel earned.

Hebrew: עֶבֶד (ʿeved, H5650) — “servant, one who works for another.” This word describes someone wholly belonging to his master. Being called the LORD’s servant was a title of honor.

See also: Numbers 32:33; Deuteronomy 34:5.

Joshua 12:7-8

The list now turns west of the Jordan, under Joshua. It runs from Baal-gad in the north to Mount Halak in the south. The writer names the varied terrain and the six peoples of the land. God gave Joshua the land in portions according to the tribes.

BSA: conquered (“defeated, overcame”): The same strong word is used as for Moses’ victories, which shows continuity between the two leaders. inheritance (“a possession, a gift”): The land is again described as something given, handed to each tribe by God’s allotment.

Hebrew: נֶגֶב (negev, H5045) — “the south, dry land.” The word means both a direction and a dry region, the parched country in the south of Canaan.

See also: Joshua 11:16-23.

Joshua 12:9-10

The list opens with Jericho and Ai, Israel’s first victories west of the Jordan. Jerusalem and Hebron follow, two of the cities of the southern campaign. Each king is counted as one. Though many, they are numbered like pieces of a finished account.

BSA: Ai (“a heap of ruins”): The name itself means a ruin, and the city became one. Jerusalem (“city of peace”): The city later chosen for God’s temple is here listed among the defeated, though its name speaks of peace.

Hebrew: אֶחָד (ʾeḥād, H259) — “one.” The refrain ‘one’ after every king works like a tally. Each defeated ruler is checked off the list, and none is forgotten.

See also: Joshua 6:20; Joshua 8:28; Joshua 10:23.

Joshua 12:11-12

Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon and Gezer come next. The first three were among the five kings who joined against Gibeon and were defeated on the long day when the sun stood still. Gezer’s king was beaten when he came to help Lachish.

See also: Joshua 10:3-5; Joshua 10:33.

Joshua 12:13-14

Debir, Geder, Hormah and Arad are towns in the southern country. Debir fell during Joshua’s southern campaign. Hormah and Arad recall an earlier story: the Canaanite king of Arad attacked Israel in the wilderness, and Israel vowed to destroy his cities.

See also: Joshua 10:38-39; Numbers 21:1-3.

Joshua 12:15-16

Libnah, Adullam and Makkedah belong to the southern low hills. Makkedah is where the five kings hid in a cave and were captured. Bethel is also listed, a town near Ai whose name means house of God.

BSA: Bethel (“house of God, sacred place”): The name recalls the place where Jacob met God, now being cleared of Canaanite rule.

See also: Joshua 10:16-27; Genesis 28:19.

Joshua 12:17-18

Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek and Lasharon lie in the central and coastal regions. They show how widely the victories spread, from the hills to the plains. The list gives names and little detail, and each town was a seat of a real ruler.

BSA: Tappuah (“the apple city”): The name suggests orchards, a reminder that these were settled, fruitful towns.

Joshua 12:19-20

Hazor was the greatest city of the north, and its king led the northern alliance against Joshua. Madon, Shimron-meron and Achshaph were among his allies. Hazor’s burning ended the campaign in the north.

BSA: Hazor (“a major Canaanite stronghold”): It was the leading city of the region, so its fall showed that God’s help reached even the strongest.

See also: Joshua 11:1-11.

Joshua 12:21-22

Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh and Jokneam guard the routes through the northern hills and valleys. Megiddo especially sat on a major road. Kedesh’s name means holy, and Jokneam stood by Mount Carmel.

BSA: Kedesh (“a holy city”): A city called holy was still a Canaanite stronghold, now brought under the Lord’s rule.

Joshua 12:23-24

Dor on the coast, Goiim (a name meaning nations) and Tirzah complete the list. The total is thirty-one kings. The total is the point. Each ruler was one man standing against the God who had promised Israel the land.

BSA: Goiim (“Gentiles, non-Hebrews”): The name means ’nations,’ a king whose very title points to the many peoples Israel faced.

Hebrew: גּוֹיִם (gôyim, H1471) — “nations, peoples.” This is the usual Hebrew word for the nations outside Israel. Here it is used as the name of a place.

See also: Deuteronomy 7:1.